Create a Family With a Twist 2

[moonwriteen]

@wandering_willow You’re right, those characters live in Canada. Me referring to Vlad as Russian - American is incorrect!
Marie Justine Bouvier (32) is the mom of Marnie 's preschool friend as well as someone who jokingly refers to herself as “the French wife of a Canadian cowboy.” Orginally from Quebec, she also works with Vlad , being an UI (user interface) designer emplpoyed by the game developer Halcyon Nights Studios . Because her job of making a visually pleasing but readable and useful interface for gamers is so practical and demanding, she likes the fact that after work she can let go of staring at the screen and go feed the horses with her husband & daughter. She’s one of the “cool coworkers” who always tries to bring the team of Halcyon Nights Studios together - for example this month she convinced the CEO to have a Halloween event complete with delicious candy , carving pumpkins and even Tarot reading. The leader of the Artist Team thinks she’s a little bit too laid back and should focus on deadlines but she’s generally liked and tries to have the best work ethic possible by still prioritizing her husband and daughter.

Being a family friend of Vlad and Olga is something she really appreciates and loves when Taras & Marnie refer to her as “auntie”, she even babysat them a few times when Vlad & Olga went out together on date nights. To honor Taras’ fascination with ostriches she made the cursor in the studios’ new zoo managment game project. She likes the fact that mytical animals like unicorns or dragons will be included in the project , feeling like this will set Halcyon Nights Studios’ game apart from competitors and prove as a success for them.

Vlad was created by @wandering_willow

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Spencer[/name_u] " [name_u]Spence[/name_u] " [name_u]Adrian[/name_u] Northgood (33) is Marie’s husband and her aforementioned ‘Canadian cowboy’. The ranch and horse rescue have been in the Northgood family for over 40 years, starting out as a more typical property but gradually transforming, after Spence’s great-grandma started to take an interest in taking in abused, abandoned or unwanted horses rather than see them needlessly put down. This desire has been strongly echoed in [name_u]Spence[/name_u], who always adored animals of every kind and hopes to pass the business onto his own children, continuing the trend of family members running the business; his own father currently runs it with the aid of his two cousins, and it’s known [name_u]Spence[/name_u] will take over when he decides to retire in the future. While his parents divorced when he was 6, their relationship’s always been amicable, and [name_u]Spence[/name_u] has a strong bond with his step parents too - as both his mom and dad ended up remarrying. He has paternal half-sisters [one uses she/they pronouns] and a maternal stepbrother, who he’s also on good terms with, although the latter tends to be who he spends more time with, as they’re both in their 30s whereas one of his sister’s is in her late teens and the other is 21. Family’s highly important to [name_u]Spence[/name_u] - to the surprise of no-one - but it’s undeniable how absolutely he loves his daughter, doting upon her and taking her out riding in safe ways appropriate for someone as young as she is.

Alongside the horses, the couple own a pet of their own: a retired police dog named [name_m]Dominic[/name_m], who was referred to the couple by one of Marie’s friends, and he’s absolutely beloved by their daughter. He’s actually met [name_f]Katya[/name_f] and [name_m]Egor[/name_m] on a few occasions, and [name_u]Spence[/name_u] is half-convinced [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] and their daughter want a romance to blossom between [name_f]Katya[/name_f] and [name_m]Dominic[/name_m] - he isn’t entirely convinced it will happen but the dogs do get on well at the very least, and he’s loathe to break their daughter’s heart with the realities of life.

A little ironically, [name_u]Spence[/name_u] isn’t someone at all interested in gaming - unless it’s D&D, he’s been avid about that since high school with some influence of his friend group - but he’s nothing other than supportive of his wife. They met through a local animal shelter where they both spent time: [name_u]Spence[/name_u] to pickup supplies and even sometimes horses to take back to the ranch, whereas [name_u]Marie[/name_u] was a volunteer while at college. Her fluency in [name_u]French[/name_u] won Spence’s respect immediately - he jokes about how tongue tied he can get around those he respects often - and led to them striking up a friendship which quickly turned romantic, helped by the fact [name_u]Spence[/name_u] can be a little hopeless where such things are concerned. It embarrasses him from time-to-time but he’s a very easily affectionate and frequently works on small surprises for [name_u]Marie[/name_u], usually in the form of notes or modest trips: as he doesn’t want to overwhelm her or interfere with her schedule [never mind the fact [name_u]Spence[/name_u] tends to like remaining close to the ranch because of his attachment to the animals]. The pair married after 5 years of dating - 3 spent living together - and actually went to Nantes for their honeymoon, somewhere they continually visit - aiming to go at least once a year. Their daughter’s birth hasn’t impacted these plans in the slightest: instead they’ve loved introducing her to the city and Marie’s teaching her [name_u]French[/name_u] [to the surprise of no-one].

[rachelheth]

[name_f]Coralie[/name_f] [name_f]Maple[/name_f] Northgood-Bouvier (4) is the daughter of [name_u]Spence[/name_u] and [name_u]Marie[/name_u]. With her father being a ‘Canadian cowboy’ and them spending much time at the ranch together, it was inevitable that [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] was going to end up as crazy about horses as the rest of the Northgoods. She loves to go visit the horses, and dreams of having her own pony someday which she plans to name ‘Candy.’ Coralie’s love for animals goes way beyond horses, and their dog [name_m]Dominic[/name_m] has become one of her best friends. [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] and [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] love bringing their dogs together and want them to be as good of friends as their owners are. Secretly, she and [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] are wishing for puppies from [name_m]Dominic[/name_m] and [name_f]Katya[/name_f], and have already thought of possible names. [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] loves being at the ranch with her parents, and has taken to [name_u]French[/name_u] that her mother is teaching her very well. Her family have noticed that she switches to [name_u]French[/name_u] when she gets excited - which they all think is very sweet.

[name_f]Coralie[/name_f] is close with both Spence’s and Marie’s families, and they are always delighted to see her. She is full of light and enthusiasm that brighten up the days of all that she meets- but admittedly, her endless energy can be a little exhausting!

[name_u]Marie[/name_u] belongs to @moonwriteen
[name_f]Marnie[/name_f] belongs to @cara_murvolio

[CherryBomb50]

Maturity warning for mentions of birth control. Also it’s spooky season.

[name_f]Rose[/name_f] [name_u]Kaya[/name_u] Northgood (18) is a “horse girl” just like [name_f]Coralie[/name_f]. She’s currently studying child development and is happy with her half-brother [name_u]Spence[/name_u] and his wife [name_u]Marie[/name_u] being such great parents to [name_f]Coralie[/name_f]. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] has a best friend who she’s been horseback riding with since they were 10. They are now both 18. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] isn’t as foolish as she used to be, but she is rather naive and her best friend, despite being 2 months younger than [name_f]Rose[/name_f], is more level-headed and makes smarter decisions. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] is bonding well with her 21-year-old sibling, who uses she/they pronouns, and talks to her stepbrother from time to time, since he helps a lot with family traditions.

[name_f]Rose[/name_f] has a secret, she almost got pregnant. After her graduation in [name_u]June[/name_u], she and her then-boyfriend were in love at the time and deep down, they wanted children and marriage before they both finished college. Rose’s best friend, the skeptic to Rose’s naivety, tried to convince her this was a mistake and she should wait, or at least not try to cram in so much and instead just let the relationship flow naturally. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and her boyfriend tried to conceive a baby but after the conception attempt, [name_f]Rose[/name_f] realised her friend was right and she didn’t want a baby. She went on the pill and used Plan B just to make sure she would not get pregnant. She didn’t get pregnant and she’s smarter now, not going back to her former ways. She and her boyfriend have amicably split but she’s okay with that and her best friend is still by her side. Only Rose’s best friend and her sibling know she nearly had a pregnancy although [name_f]Rose[/name_f] didn’t directly tell either one.

Currently [name_f]Rose[/name_f] is excited for Halloween and is side-gigging as a zombie for the annual haunted corn maze. Her stepbrother, who grows the corn field, hosts this every year. There’s a regular corn maze, a haunted corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and a few carnival games and rides alongside other attractions. [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] feels she’s too young for the haunted corn maze but she’s excited for the regular corn maze and playing the fun little games. In addition to these attractions, [name_u]Marie[/name_u] is going to bring home some candy from her workplace to [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] too. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] has another secret, although this one’s actually appropriate for [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] to know — [name_f]Rose[/name_f] misses trick-or-treating! She stopped doing that at age 10 and her family used to wonder if her skeptic friend convinced her not to. [name_u]Truth[/name_u] is, [name_f]Rose[/name_f] was just in a moment where she really wanted to grow up and look cool, so she stopped. She knew a few teenagers who still trick-or-treated but insisted “I’m not one of them.” However now with [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] trick-or-treating, [name_f]Rose[/name_f] wants to tag along and go with her. [name_u]Spence[/name_u] and [name_u]Marie[/name_u] are fine with that and they know [name_f]Rose[/name_f] isn’t a “candy hog” - [name_f]Rose[/name_f] just wants to go for the experience. [name_u]Marie[/name_u], who loves Halloween, is actually quite happy [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] are bonding over the holiday. Coralie’s really excited and she and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] have matching unicorn costumes. [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] has taught [name_f]Rose[/name_f] some Halloween-related words in [name_u]French[/name_u] and the two have been bonding more and more this spooky season.

[wandering_willow]

spooky season indeed!

tw: parental death, taxidermy, death of a child. i am having issues with spoiler warnings and edits so it’s uncensored, sorry

Isola Eulalie Hathaway (18) is another friend of Rose’s, though she’s not her best friend. They don’t speak much, but both enjoy each other’s company. As little girls, they’d both visit the same corn maze every year around Halloween and they’d spend the whole night together, roasting marshmallows and running around in the corn maze and telling spooky stories. She grew up in Bathurst, New Brunswick with her eccentric grandmother- Bathurst is a town known for being haunted. Isola was not born there, though- she was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick to her parents. Thomas and Sadie Hathaway were a young couple, madly in love with each other and hopelessly devoted to their one and only child, Isola. They lived in a small apartment downtown and would often go for walks in the slightly cold weather. Isola’s parents were simply enchanted with her, and were considering the prospect of expanding their little family. Thomas Hathaway was a serious and straightforward man, and his worst fear was becoming like his mother.

Isola’s grandmother lives in Hathaway House, a mansion just outside of Bathurst. She had three children- Thomas, another son who she’s close with, and a daughter, Lucille. Lucille was said to be the obvious favorite child and was described as a sunny infant who loved to go on adventures. Lucille grew into a spunky young girl with a zest for life, who was always playing in the gardens. One cold autumn day, Lucille fell out of a tree- her mother screamed in agony when she saw the limp and lifeless body of her daughter who was once so full of life. It was a shock- and some people took the shock worse than others. Isola’s grandmother (Lucille’s mother) had her daughter taxidermied and put into a room full of pictures. She never let anyone into the room, including Isola and all of her cousins. Family gatherings were very awkward- Isola’s uncle was very close with his mother and adored her, but Thomas loathed her with a burning passion.

Despite all the tension, Isola loves her grandmother. When Isola was three, Thomas and Sadie took her to the family reunion- Thomas may have hated his mother but he still wanted Isola to know that side of her family. Isola was thrilled. Isola’s grandmother even suggested that Thomas and Sadie move to Bathurst, but the young couple refused- they were happy with their life in Fredericton, and wouldn’t leave it for the world. About an hour later, Thomas and Sadie excused themselves to leave and tried to bring along Isola, and everyone else there decided that it was the time to leave. The family loitered around uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to each other. All of a sudden, toddler Isola was nowhere to be found. Thomas and Sadie then asked if they could go upstairs and look for their daughter. Everyone else pitched in and helped. But when neither of the young parents had shown in 45 minutes, everyone was scared. It was Isola’s grandmother who found Sadie and Thomas dead. Thomas was lying on the ground near a smashed-up vase that had apparently been used to beat him to death. His face was so disfigured that some of the adults covered their eyes. Sadie had apparently swallowed a bottle of pills- she was taking antidepressants, and everyone quickly assumed it was a murder-suicide. Luckily Isola was found safe. She was raised by her grandmother after that. Nobody questioned her grandmother- she was an old widow who had already gone through the loss of her husband and daughter, and now her son and daughter in law. But it was suspicious. Sadie was not suicidal or homicidal. And Thomas was much physically stronger than his wife, who stood about 6 or 7 inches shorter than him.

Nobody knows what happened to their bodies, not even Isola. But Isola never thought her grandmother could’ve done it- she did have a peculiar obsession with the occult, and a penchant for all things witchy or related to ghosts, but Isola knew that her grandmother couldn’t have killed her parents- or could she have?

Isola’s only friends in childhood were her grandmother and her cousins, but they were all at least 3 years older than her and none paid much attention to her during their teenhood years. And in school, kids would make fun of Isola for being “creepy” and “a witch,” because her grandmother was often seen coming to her school in long black robes and interesting jewelry to pick her up while most of the kids had normal parents. Isola often longed for her parents and even wrote poetry and letters to them in her preteen years. When she met Rose at the corn maze it changed her life because it was a real friend for her. One time Isola ventured into the forbidden room to find a stuffed Lucille and said hello to her- keep in mind she was about five or six at the time. She also saw two figures who looked a lot like her- these were adults but what she didn’t realize was that they were her parents. Her grandmother quickly found her and pulled her out of the room, but did not scold her. Nevertheless, that was the moment Isola knew never to go in that room again.

Isola started to realize the oddities of her grandmother’s story of how she found her parents dead when she entered her teen years. When Isola started to do other things that didn’t involve her grandmother, the woman was furious. She even ruined her poor granddaughter’s first date out of spite. She said this was to protect her granddaughter but Isola had different views on it and felt it changed her life. She keeps all her dates and personal life secret from her grandmother now. She’s applied to the University of New Brunswick and actually got in for writing, but hasn’t told her grandmother yet- she also has a partner now who she’s been dating for three whole months but hasn’t told her grandmother. However she has told her youngest cousin, a girl three years older than her, and indirectly told all her other cousins who are urging her to go to the university she’s always wanted to get into. They’re all rooting for Isola, as is her partner and she’s really grateful for that. Isola just sometimes wishes her parents were around to root for her too…

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Castor[/name_m] [name_m]Darwin[/name_m] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] (26) is Isola’s cousin and older brother to Isola’s closest cousin, the 21-year-old woman. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] is the second-born of his siblings. Unlike his father, [name_m]Castor[/name_m] isn’t close with his grandmother and is distanced away. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] himself had been locked in a walk-in freezer before but managed to escape, not knowing who had locked it on him. It’s made him less trusting of people and he’s intimidated by people walking behind him. He’s warmed up to [name_f]Isola[/name_f] and his siblings but deep down, there’s things he’ll never trust anyone with. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] is sensing toxicity within his grandmother and her attempts to always be involved as a sort of “protection” so he and his siblings have broken contact. This makes [name_m]Castor[/name_m] feel better about [name_f]Isola[/name_f] since she too is keeping her life private but he definitely doesn’t want to look too closely. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] will meet up with family but where he lives… is completely unknown. He hasn’t told a soul where he’s residing and doesn’t plan to, feeling safer this way. He uses social media but only on VPNs and always has location turned off.

Castor’s career isn’t something getting in the way of his private life, it embellished his private life. That’s because [name_m]Castor[/name_m] is a spy and uses several aliases and a few disguises. He’s not part of any government or society and has never been politically motivated. However he is known to be sneaky and has several hidden cameras around places he believes are suspicious, especially Bathurst. He’s investigated and gone undercover in places, sometimes places he’s not allowed, and gathered information. He’s also an expert hacker but only hacks in dire situations. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] also avoids leaving any evidence. He’s yet to see any ghosts and isn’t sure what to think about that but he’s not completely counting out paranormal activity. His family doesn’t know he’s a spy but knows he’s taken forensic science in university. He’s rooting on [name_f]Isola[/name_f] alongside Isola’s partner and believes both of them are intelligent people.

[wandering_willow]

Halloween rocks!!

[name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] [name_f]Amoret[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] (21) is the youngest sibling of [name_m]Castor[/name_m] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f]. She’s also Isola’s cousin, who grew up with her. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Isola[/name_f] were always the closest out of all the cousins, but [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] wasn’t quite as close with her grandmother in childhood as [name_f]Isola[/name_f] was. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] always felt uneasy around her grandmother, who always seemed to be irritable or plain depressed. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] never wandered into the taxidermy room like [name_f]Isola[/name_f] had, but she had seen pictures of [name_f]Lucille[/name_f]- a cheerful-looking little girl with soft brown waves cascading down her back, dark green catlike eyes and freckles all over her face. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Lucille[/name_f] looked a lot alike- the similarities were uncanny. This may be why Ofelia’s grandmother was oddly attached to her as a baby but grew distant to her as she matured into her own person, possibly disappointed that she didn’t turn out like a carbon copy of [name_f]Lucille[/name_f].

[name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] has always been a very inquisitive person who can read a room very well and is jokingly called by her siblings and family a “mind reader-“ she knows what everyone is feeling at any given time based on their expressions. As a result of having this kind of personality, [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] experienced significant anxiety and even depression because of how her grandmother seemingly dismissed her and catered to her other siblings and cousin. Nevertheless, [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] has a great relationship with her parents. She never lashed out at [name_f]Isola[/name_f]- in fact, [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] was always very sensitive to Isola’s needs because deep down, though she’s never told anyone this, she pities [name_f]Isola[/name_f] and always has. She doesn’t let this out because she fears she’d hurt her cousin, but she’s always felt excessive pity for her. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] is a very sensitive person, and though that can benefit her, it also harms her a lot in the long term.

Poor [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] carried a lot of pressure in her childhood- everyone would always come to her for advice or just to vent. [name_m]Castor[/name_m] didn’t do this as much as everyone else, because he’s always been a very closed off person. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] doesn’t even know [name_m]Castor[/name_m] is a spy- she just thinks he’s a recluse. Ironically, [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] is a therapist now. She’s based out of [name_u]Saint[/name_u] [name_u]John[/name_u], [name_u]New[/name_u] Brunswick- she didn’t stay in Bathurst because she still feels uncomfortable around her grandmother. Despite knowing the importance of mental health, [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] has never seen a therapist- even though her mental health is rapidly declining. She’s become depressed again, and she’s trying her hardest to get out of it but it’s consuming her life. She constantly feels inadequate, but she’s bottling it up because that’s what she was taught to do her whole childhood, even if she spends her whole work day telling others that that is the wrong thing to do.

Luckily [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] has her fiancé, a man she met just over a year ago, and their beloved mutt [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] and her fiancé are both therapists in the same office building. That’s how they met- she asked for his number and he asked her if she wanted to go on a date at a local carnival. She said yes, and the rest is history. Her fiancé gets along well with most of the Hathaways, except for one of Ofelia’s sisters who says she can see ghosts, and her grandmother of course.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: assault

Thais Elowen Hathaway (24) is the sister born in-between Castor and Ofelia, and in certain ways has taken on the role of the ‘oldest sibling’ model, thanks to the eldests preoccupation with the paranormal. When they were kids, Thais and Castor were very close, which was dampened for a while by the walk-in freezer incident and how it made her brother feel unable to trust people to the same capacity; something Thais struggled with for a long time as the pair used to talk about everything. She doesn’t hold it against him though - that would be ridiculously unfair - and is also known for being a little secretive herself, usually because she’s taking on a degree of responsibility. Her grandmother tended to consider Thais the most argumentative of her siblings - she forever was full of questions about a whole range of subjects, including not feeling she had to bow to the woman’s authority, an immediate problem as far as she was concerned. Instead of being lectured and shouted at quelling this side of the girl though, it only spurred on her desire to establish her independence, and she was always looking for ways at succeeding in this. Looking back she suspects this is why Isola and her weren’t particularly close - the younger cousin no doubt associated her with their grandmother’s worst side - and she’s apologised for the stress it must have caused; however doesn’t feel any guilt for standing up for herself and refusing to have someone else try moulding her personality into frankly what it will never be.

Her stubbornness is as much of a blessing as it can be a curse though. Thais is a very loyal person to her loved one’s and will fight tooth and nail to see them happy; regularly stepping in if someone was teasing one of her siblings, including Castor, as age never got in the way of her bravery. This contrasts gravely with her personal aesthetic and other great loves: gardening, crochet and knitting, folk music and hiking. Thais jokes she needs to contain her fire somehow, and these pursuits are the perfect means; but her housemates will tell her siblings they’ve seen her complete softness on display - not just in how she’ll cook them dinner after a long shift if they’re exhausted, but the way she dotes upon her rescue cat, Monique: who’s hairless and jokingly called ‘the alien’ by some of her friends. It’s a surprise to no-one that Thais is a cat person. Aside from always clamouring for a pet one - and being suitably dour when she was told now, incurring a prolonged sulk [that her dad found especially hilarious] - she can nap just about anywhere and also is particular about physical affection. Once she’s comfortable with someone, it’s absolutely no problem, but she admits she isn’t the type of person who embraces friends of friends at a first meeting as she’s just a bit awkward when it comes to that kind of openness.

Currently Thais is attending law school with an intention to go into criminal prosecution. Justice means a great deal to her - perhaps stemming from never discovering who locked Castor in the freezer - and she was encouraged to consider becoming an attorney by her debate coach; not a shock she entered that side of extracurricular activites the second she hit high school. It’s also because of an incident one of her closest friends went through: while walking home from school eight years ago, she was attacked by a man, completely out of nowhere, with a metal pipe, and had to spend four weeks in hospital, mostly because of the intense shock. No straightforward reason was ever given when the perpetrator was convicted - he just said he wanted to feel the experience of harming someone [Thais is convinced he didn’t just want to injure her friend but far worse, only stopping because he was interrupted by some joggers], however in spite of her lack of satisfaction at this explanation, she wants to continue advocating for those who endure these awful situations. Her friend is also studying law - not criminal though - and they’ve definitely become best friends in the years since, as Thais was the first person to tell others to stop asking her questions about the attack; given it was the main point of school gossip.

They live together in the bouse share with two others and Thais jokingly calls her the ‘aunt’ of Monique, sharing this privilege with her biological siblings. She was undeniably the one Ofelia’s boyfriend was initially the wariest of - thanks to her reputation for enjoying an argument [not just debating, Thais readily admits this herself] and aloof demeanour - but they’ve actually come to get along very well: not only does he share her dry wit and love of sarcasm, Thais recognises how truly he loves her sister and helps encourage her to pursue her career dreams, the thing she always wanted for all her loved one’s. Her own relationship is currently long distance, as her partner - who uses they/she pronouns - is on a trip to Borneo as part of their zoological masters degree, getting in the field experience with the animals. Thais’s room is decorated with their postcards and photographs of everything they’re seeing, and in spite of seeming a little cool about most things that aren’t law or Monique, she’ll talk readily and endlessly about everything they’re accomplishing.

---

@moonwriteen sorry for cutting you off!

[moonwriteen]

(tw: non-consensual foretelling and tarot reading , character used to be a bully )
Delia Patrice Northgood (21) is the full sister of Rose Northgood and the half-sister of Spencer Northgood. She’s also on good terms with Spencer 's maternal half-brother , although she is rather surprised that the 33-year-old is on good terms with him given that Spencer’s mother gave birth to his half-brother while she was still technically in her marriage with Spencer’s dad , but they had separated by that time and she got pregnant with another man, while Spencer’s father took a significantly larger amount of time to remarry and have Rose & Delia with his new partner.

Delia has never supported Rose 's friendship with Isola and even laughed at Ofelia for “trying to be smarter than adults” and sitting in the room all day studying or trying to console her siblings and cousin - much like an adult would. Delia only bullied Ofelia because she wanted to get her to advise Isola to get away from Rose… Not really because she had anything against their actual friendship but because Isola 's grandmother, who was also her caretaker, creeped her out to the absolute max ever since she did something really weird to her.

Delia was a tomboy growing up and has always had “beef” with traditional femininity - her mom tried to get her to get her into beauty pageantry , but she blatantly run away while dressed in a rainbow t-shirt with a horse print as well as very long checked skirt and tiara - then proceeded to jump into the stack of hay in the barn, run off from the barn and jump in nearby puddles while covering the whole outfit in mud. While her mom was frantically looking for her, carrying 4-year-old Rose in her arms, Delia noticed a cat climbing up a nearby willow and climbed it. She attempted to pet the cat but it fled. While the cat didn’t have a problem climbing back down, Delia certainly did. The then 7-year-old girl started calling for help but it became appearent that her mom is nowhere to be found which left her really scared. Fortunately, Isola and her grandma were nearby and the old lady helped her… by telling her to wait, then going to her van and getting a ladder out of the back of said van. After that , Isola 's grandmother said she won’t tell Delia ‘s mom about purposefully ruining her beauty peagent outfit if she goes to play with Isola and have tea with her. Delia reluctantly agreed and went to the ladies’ house only to see strange paintings on the walls , nearly all the windows having black curtains and in the kitchen there being no windows at all. Isola 's grandma manipulated Delia to tell her the whole story about why she destoryed her outfit, with Delia having to reveal to her the most embarassing thing ever - the fact that she did not want to be a “cute southern girl” and felt uncomfortable playing with dolls (who creeped her out due to having empty eyes) or wearing frilly clothing. Isola 's grandma at that point proceeded to put crystals and around her , shuffling tarot cards and touching the crystal ball. Despite Delia shouting " I don’t want to have my future told, I just want chocolate chip cookies" , Isola 's grandmother proceeded to tell her that she’s destined to be a witch and that’s the reason she climbed after a cat, also telling her she is meant to “reconnect to the dark side of her femininity” someday. This terrified Delia but because she was worried about Isola 'grandma potentially hurting her, she stayed for the milk and cookies & then played with Isola 's old fashioned doll house and porcelain dolls which scared her a thousand times more than regular plastic ones. She recieved an victorian-looking linen dress from Lady Hathaway as well as a moonstone neckels , being told by Isola’s grandmother that it will enchance her feminine energy and give her assurance in times of uncertainty. Delia chose to accept the gifts and when she returned to her mom , Ms. Northgood was really grateful so Delia was told to say “thank you” even though she didn’t like either the visit or the gifts.

After that experience Delia began bullying Isola and Ofelia to get away from her and Rose even more because she was scared of something similiar happening to Rose as happened to her. However, Thais found out about her sister and cousin being bullied for such a simple thing as playing in a corn maze with their neighbour so she - in her usual fashion - got in an argument with her , telling her "your momma " roasts and other insults to protect her sister, which culminated in a wrestling match between Delia & Thais , which Delia won because of greater physical strength. Thais began crying after getting a mild scrarch on her cheek , so Delia felt bad and told Thais the real reasin why she doesn’t want Rose and Isola to hang out , as well as the truth about what Isola , Thais , Ofelia and Castor 's grandmother did to her. This turned out to be a good move because Delia apologised and it turned out Thais & Delia both don’t like Thais 's grandmother for her creepiness , controlling tendencies and inability to be told “no”. They are also both huge “cat people” and can be really confrontational even if there is logically no need for it. This actually blosssomed into a friendship , with Thais being the first person Delia told about using she/they pronouns and being a demigirl.

Today , they joke that the foretelling of Isola 's grandmother came true - even though Delia still isn’t into " Halloween stuff " and the only thing she actually enjoys are pumpkin spice scented things - from cookies through latte to even a soap bar. However, she actually connected to her darker feminine side even if her cozy , sweater-filled style doesn’t suggest that. She enjoys feminist podcasts and 90s rock girlbands like Hole , with " Malibu " being her absolute favourite song of all time. She’s more rebellious than she lets on - being a relentless women’s rights and animal right’s activist who lives in Moncton, New Brunschwick while being a volounteer for a cat rescue. It’s her rescue that Thais got Monique from , while her own two cats , Bruschetta and Limoncello , are slowly becoming friends with Monique.

Even though she’s friends with Thais , she is glad that Isola and Rose are just friends , not besties as Rose herself called it. Delia believes that if Isola and Rose remained as close as they were in early childhood , Rose’s “pregnancy scare” could have gone differently , as Isola 's warped sense of reality would probably cause her to support Rose in her decision to have a baby with her ex so as to “lengthen the line of life”. She’s hearing from Thais that Isola 's secret partner and her distancing herself from her grandmother contribute to her better mental health. Delia , however, is glad that Rose has a different best friend who takes much saner decisions in life and is a fellow volounteer in her Moncton rescue ,even if she only goes there every other week every pair of hands is priceless. She also hears that Rose 's ex lives there and has just had a baby only a month after his 19th birthday. She is happy that Rose is not with him anymore, as the individual is rumoured to be a bit sexsist and for his fiancee to comform to very strict roles as a mother and homemaker. They wouldn’t want that for themselves or for rose - but they only laugh now because Delia and Rose both know that if someone tried to limit their life choices like that. the relationship wouldn’t last.

Isola was created by @wandering_willow
Rose was created by @CherryBomb50
Spencer is the creation of @kitkatcookie

[kitkatcookie]

cw: parental estrangement, transphonia

Yumiko Hayashida (24) is Thais’s’ partner and a friendly acquaintance of [name_f]Delia[/name_f]. The two aren’t quite at the stage of being 1:1 friends yet because of Yumiko frequently travelling outside of [name_f]Canada[/name_f] on various trips and placements, now they’re completing their masters and seeking out placements to get in-field experience working with the animals they love so much. Yumiko has an especial desire to help in the protection and conservation of endangered species; which tends to lead them to more rural areas where these studies are being carried out. It isn’t ideal for some - the long distance and limited means of communication are driving some of their fellow students mad - but Yumiko handles it one step at a time, and admits they’re blessed in having [name_f]Thais[/name_f] for their girlfriend, as she never takes issue with this setup. The two bonded in their first year of university when they both joined the main gardening project, and [name_f]Thais[/name_f] - who’s never been especially confident around flowers because of their delicacy contrasting with her coarse nature [politely ignoring her confrontational side] - learned how to take care of orchids with Yumiko’s guidance; as their mom always filled the house with those flowers throughout their childhood. Both of them had somewhat divisive natures - [name_f]Thais[/name_f] speaks for herself, while Yumiko’s total ease in their own company can be mistaken as rude by others when combined with their bluntness [mistranslated as looking down on people] - and admittedly, they always thought the shorter woman was attractive.

Things were a lot easier for Yumiko prior to coming out as genderfluid. The main thing was they were on good terms with their whole family, extended members included, but the decision to openly use they/she pronouns was met with a tonne of resistance, denial and outright rejection. In particular, Yumiko’s father refused to accept this - blaming their best friend, who had come out as trans masc [something he barely tolerated behind their back] - and a huge row broke out between them and him at their brothers’ graduation party, of all events. What hurt the most for Yumiko, aside from what was said about their best friend, was that their brother - someone they’d always admired, loved and respected - lambasted them for being ‘selfish’ and barely acknowledged it was their father who instigated the confrontation; in spite of Yumiko coming out weeks prior to the fateful occurrence. Awful as they feel for thinking it, they’re glad their parents divorced when they were 9 years old, as they’ve still got their mom to rely on, as she wholly embraced them and continues to voice support; while trying to reconcile the relationship between her children. Right now, Yumiko can’t face their brother for how he hurt them. They’ve confided a lot in [name_f]Thais[/name_f] about this because of how she feels about her grandmother, and it’s affirmation they need, as some friends - while good intentioned - have insisted they reach out; in spite of how uncomfortable they feel about speaking properly to him again. It’s the not knowing if he holds the same bigoted values that upsets Yumiko the most, as if that’s the case they know reconciliation will become nigh impossible.

A little ironically given the past of [name_f]Delia[/name_f] and their girlfriend, Yumiko’s an accomplished kickboxer and karate student, who still engages in the sports now; granted they’re not doing competitions as they simply don’t have the time. Thais’s best friend learned a couple moves from them and now attends classes herself, as it gives much needed peace of mind in the wake of what she was subjected to. For how outdoorsy their job is though, when they’re home from trips or campus, you can usually find Yumiko curled up with [name_f]Monique[/name_f] or watching [name_f]Thais[/name_f] knitting or crocheting, enjoying a documentary but very much wanting to do little else. This only added to their antisocial label, as they infamously once went to a party in their first year of college and ended up going to sleep in their car after realising it wasn’t their vibe. A little ironically, their best friend’s a complete party animal, so when they’re sharing an apartment only one party tends to be awake given the time [and that’s when some social outing isn’t calling their roommate elsewhere]. Yumiko’s also anticipating meeting another member when they get back from their trip. One of their maternal cousins is moving up from Montreal to attend college and they’re hoping the young man isn’t anticipating on a grand tour, as really, they just want to nap with their girlfriend.

[wandering_willow]

tw: possible schizophrenic?

[name_f]Hecate[/name_f] [name_f]Sonnet[/name_f] “ [name_f]Catie[/name_f] “ [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] (28) is the oldest [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] and the closest to her grandmother. She’s met Yumiko only a few times, and doesn’t like them- [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] doesn’t like many people, because she claims ghosts are nicer. Like her grandmother, [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] has a penchant for anything related to Halloween or the Victorian witch aesthetic. [name_f]Catie[/name_f] is the only grandchild who’s still on good terms with [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f]. Like [name_f]Delia[/name_f], she received a tarot card reading at some point- but [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] was completely willing and even excited to get her reading. [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] was told that “she was connected to a divine paranormal energy, and that she was chosen by the universe.” [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] was given this reading relatively young, and took it to heart. She claims to see ghosts on a daily basis, and has even before her grandmother gave her this reading. When she was around six she said “I see a girl,” which excited [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f]- she asked her what the girl looked like, but [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] was mainly telling her grandmother what she wanted to hear. She does experience strange visions on a day to day basis and claims they’re [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] and [name_f]Lucille[/name_f].

Whenever [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] had a vision, her grandmother unwaveringly trusted her. Her siblings all had different opinions on this- [name_m]Castor[/name_m] was a skeptic and said [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] was definitely a liar and just doing it to get attention from her grandmother, but [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f], being more emotionally driven, said she believes and still believes [name_f]Catie[/name_f] is telling the truth. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] thinks [name_f]Catie[/name_f] might have a severe form of schizophrenia, but hasn’t diagnosed her and recommends her to go to a professional who she’s not related to. [name_f]Catie[/name_f] gets angry whenever anyone tells her her ghost visions are not real, and lashes out at them. [name_f]Isola[/name_f] knew to stay away from [name_f]Hecate[/name_f], mainly out of fear, and [name_f]Thais[/name_f] said she believed her but never really did. She didn’t want to destroy her relationship with her grandmother.

[name_f]Hecate[/name_f] never went to college and still lives in [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] house- her obsession with the paranormal only blossomed over the years and she will sometimes sit in her room, silent with her eyes closed, and try to “summon the ghosts.” [name_f]Catie[/name_f] doesn’t actually have much of a personal life, though she did have a boyfriend for a few months. They broke up recently, because he couldn’t stand Catie’s obsession with summoning ghosts and felt like he was “third wheeling” her and the ghosts. She always asked him to be there when she tried summoning them, as this was her way of expressing love to him, but he never really understood any of it though he did try to, because he loved [name_f]Catie[/name_f] and still does love her. Indeed, he might be the only person who ever really has, besides her siblings- and even then, all she’s ever done is push them away, especially [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f], who she always felt was “jealous of her” for being the obvious favorite.

Despite still adamantly believing in ghosts, [name_f]Catie[/name_f] has shown obvious high intelligence at many times in her life- she could always figure things out easier than everyone else in her grade and was very smart. But [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] isn’t very socially smart (she’s never had a job) and has made friends but never managed to really keep them. That’s okay with her though, because she likes ghosts more than people. She’s heard a man and a woman whispering to her lately, telling her not to trust [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] and that she killed them both- [name_f]Catie[/name_f] has been keeping this a secret from [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] as she only tells her the parts of her visions she wants to hear, not her grandfather telling her that [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f] poisoned him, not [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] and Sadie’s poor ghosts telling her that she killed both of them, not [name_f]Lucille[/name_f] telling [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] to let her out of the room, pleading her to let her out of the room and telling her how much the stuffing itches. She never wants to hear those voices again- [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] advised her to see a doctor and get meds but she already has, and she takes her meds regularly despite not recieving a proper diagnosis for anything. [name_f]Hecate[/name_f] knows to be wary of her grandmother, because the voices have never lied to her…but she’s hoping they are this time.

[kitkatcookie]

major tw: domestic violence, SA

Ella Naomi Desjardin (30) is Catie’s childhood best friend, although the two would subsequently fall out in their early teens as the ghosts became more prominent, culminating in a total breakdown of trust. Life was never pleasant, or even safe, within the Desjardin household: Ella’s father was a very violent man who subjected his wife and three daughters to regular terror whenever he’d explode into a fit of rage - the kind that needed nothing as an incitement - often culminating in him assaulting his wife. On several occasions Ella’s older sister tried to intervene, leading to her getting beaten too, and it would then be her job [as she saw it being the middle child] to rake care of her while comforting her younger sister as well. Due to Mr. Desjardin having a good reputation within the local community - working as the deputy manager of a power plant and being heavily involved in charity drives - it was never thought he was an absolute monster at home, and this created an environment where his children felt unable to tell any other adults in their lives. People respected their father, idolised him even, who was there to listen? Never mind the fact he did a good job as painting himself as a victim - to complete his designs for total control - thanks to being the only man in a household of women; implying to teachers that his daughters cared much more for their mother and that he was unfairly maligned from the family dynamic because of this gender divide.

Catie was one of the few people who had any idea of what Ella went through at home. While she wasn’t completely forthcoming about the reality of things, she did know Ella’s father was an aggressive and domineering man, and in the years before her belief in ghosts consumed her life, this served as a great comfort to her friend. In turn, Catie would confide in Ella about the difficult relationship between her grandmother and her own siblings, with the pair spending a lot of time together thanks to a mutual interest in the supernatural; even making their own ouija board one Halloween.

At fifteen, Ella started seeing an older guy, stemming from the promise he made about providing her an escape from her awful father. They met through her weekend job at a local garage, and - in spite of him being 21, older than her big sister - he seemed much better to Ella than any of the guys she was at school with; primarily because of how he was the paragon of maturity as far as she was concerned. He helped her begin storing up money for when she was legally old enough to move out of her parents house, although he was careful to keep the relationship between them secret [something Ella went along with as she was very used to hiding things from others]. It did make her uncomfortable concealing the truth from her mom and sisters - the people she trusted, loved and relied on emotionally most of all - but her boyfriend promised he could help them too, as long as Ella didn’t reveal they were dating ‘for a while’. For how perfect he seemed to her, the one thing that was upsetting was how he quickly began bringing up sex; insisting it was the best way for them to express their commitment and devotion to one another. At this point, Ella was only sixteen and not at all certain about progressing to that with anyone - even the man she felt she loved - but he pressured and persisted until she gave in; something that wpuld haunt and remain with her for the rest of her life. This would be what destroyed the house of cards that her father had so carefully constructed.

Ella’s older sister found a note she’d written one day while looking to borrow some clothes in her room and it was then that she realised it wasn’t a boy Ella was dating, but a fully grown man. She rang the police immediately - in spite of not consulting her father, who insisted any emergency calls went through him - and upon arriving at the house, the youngest Desjardin broke down when police asked if she knew how old Ella’s boyfriend was. Not about the fact she secretly knew but because she was afraid he’d turn out like their father and start physically attacking her. What would come of this bombshell was several things: Ella’s father and abuser were both arrested; she briefly fell out with her sisters given they’d unveiled the nature of her relationship; and their mom managing to get a restraining order, with the wider community finally coming to see what had been going on under their noses. The one person Ella felt she could talk to during this time was Catie - everything she knew was collapsing and she was terrified one error could unleash her fathers’ wrath back upon the family - but her childhood friend only wanted the ghosts by now [even favourably comparing them to Ella in the moment]. It was devastating, and she refused to call Catie her friend from that point onwards.

A little ironically, Ella now works as a pharmacist, and Ofelia has been in contact with her to enquire about appropriate medication, as well as how to convince Catie to attend a proper psychological assessment. While she isn’t interested in rekindling a friendship [Ella always had quite an aloof manner, retaining a cool politeness in how she interacts with those outside her inner circle], the extent of Catie’s dependency on the ghosts is seriously concerning to her, as after they stopped hanging out she assumed this interest would fade as other aspects of life took over. Ella’s still very close with her own sisters, who she credits to helping her process the abuse she was subjected to, and they frequently visit their mother, who moved to be closer to her older brother. She’s actually been in a relationship with one of Yumiko’s supervisors - a zoologist who specialises in reptilian life - for 6 years, and the couple have a 3-month-old adopted son, which is why the other woman is staying in Canada while her student’s enjoying Borneo; but the little boy is the absolute centre of their world, and what means the most to Ella is seeing those she loves happy and safe.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for assault and transphobia.

[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] [name_u]Carmine[/name_u] [born [name_m]Carl[/name_m] [name_m]Eugene[/name_m] Desjardin] [name_m]Benson[/name_m] (28) is the youngest child of the Desjardin sisters, a male-to-female transgender. She’s been cutting herself off from abusers and transphobes on her decision to be female due to the volatile nature of her father. He constantly misgendered her and always called her his “son” and would beat her after a time where she wore makeup and a dress. Her father also gaslighted her and claimed she wasn’t being oppressed because her gender identity wasn’t real and she’d “always be a man”. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] had considered on her new name for quite some time and based it from her deadname seeing as her mother was the one who originally named her. Had it been her father who named her, [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] wouldn’t have made the similar reference. Her father even tried to put her on his side and accused her of “betraying who she is”, believing [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] only wanted to be female because she didn’t want to be male like her father. This was false, [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] always knew she was a woman and hated that her father wouldn’t believe trans women were women. So [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] refused and her father was enemies with the whole family.

[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] herself is super close to [name_f]Ella[/name_f] but still admits she feared Ella’s much-older boyfriend. During the time [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and the man were pursuing each other, she hardly ever associated with [name_f]Ella[/name_f] due to fears that her then-boyfriend will hurt the whole family. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] didn’t even know Ella’s then-boyfriend’s age until their elder sister told her. When [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] legally changed her name, she changed her surname as well, to her mother’s maiden name. She’s fine if the others keep their surname and she’s sure [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is changing her surname to her girlfriend’s if they choose to marry. However [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] and [name_f]Ella[/name_f] are much closer now and [name_f]Ella[/name_f] confided in [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] first about her attraction to women, seeing that [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] is also part of the community. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] is extremely close to her adoptive nephew and adores his sweet nature raised by such a good couple. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] is also close to Yumiko and the two have stood up for each other in times of transphobia. If anyone is transphobic to anyone in any way, then they’re not allowed in Eugenie’s life and that’s final. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] isn’t as close with the Hathaways and doesn’t know whether ghosts are real but deep down, doesn’t want to know. [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] is currently in her last year of university, needing to take lots of community college classes first as her grades weren’t that good, but now she’s feeling better and things are looking up.

[kitkatcookie]

Clement Sebastian Michanae (34) is Eugenie and Ella’s brother-in-law, and the husband of their older sister, who’s just celebrated her 33rd birthday. Having begun seeing his now-wife shortly after they met at a college party - one neither quite knew how they ended up at given half the campus seemed to be attending when it was apparently a private event - they actually had their first daughter together when they were 24 and 25 respectively, however opted against marriage until after their second daughter was born a couple years later. For understandable reasons, none of the Desjardin/Benson sisters’ have been overzealous about making big commitments - their father showed his true colours to their mom once the pair were living together and offically engaged to the knowledge of their friends and family - however Clement was always patient, understanding and respected his wife’s boundaries. He wasn’t actually fussed about if they tied the not - his own parents never married and have been happily together for almost 26 years - but understood for her it meant abandoning the surname she associated with a man who embodied the word nightmare. The only thing that ever annoyed Clement was people assuming he cared to listen because he must have shared a similar upbringing to his partner. This is completely untrue - his father is an exceptionally kind, loyal and compassionate person who’s never behaved abusively towards anyone - but it isn’t just about the assumptions; it’s the fact people are so pessimistic about human empathy.

Sometimes people don’t understand the couples relationship: Clement’s a source of calm while his wife’s a go-getter with tonnes of energy, and they even prefer different hobbies, with him typically reading long novels or crafting mosaiacs when he has time not being taken up by their very imaginative daughters; but it’s their mutual caring for others that unites them. Clement’s younger brother is the person he always looked out for - through a series of trials and issues when they were teenagers - and he never questioned why his wife worried frequently about her sisters; while some people insisted she was becoming paranoid and invalidated her feelings. He never confronted anyone about this attitude but made his disapproval clear in shutting down any comments made, as it was especially unfair given his then-girlfriend was open about her traumatic upbringing and what the people she loves most were subjected to on a frequent basis. Clement never took offense with how standoffish Ella seemed initially, as his brother’s that way inclined, but immediately got on with Eugenie, who he complimented on her choice of a nose piercing - and she’s always his first choice for a babysitter when the couple are having time together. He also encouraged his brother to get to know his partners’ family more, managing to create a good comradery and support from both sides as the fear ebbed away from Ella about things.

The couple have just welcomed their third daughter - they joke about a repeat pattern of personalities across their trio - and are currently living between Ms. Benson’s home and Ella’s place with her girlfriend. Clement works as a charity coordinator for a project specifically targeted at reducing homelessness among young people, and while he loves his job, it’s distressing that several stories are so remnant of what his wife endured: teenagers from seemingly harmonious, middle class family’s which turn out to be dominated by abuse of all kinds. He’s always had a tolerance for listening to the hardships people go through, but is always mindful of not getting burnt out, something his bosses are always mentioning at staff meetings, and a mantra he also applies to his personal life. Being the friend people always confided in first, Clement sometimes got a bit overwhelmed when he was in high school, not helped by the fact some people he knew over exaggerated their issues for attention or outright lied because they knew he’d care to help. In spite of this he refuses to become cynical in his view of the world, as he feels it’s become too prominent, and that there’s a line between remaining aware of ongoing issues while not turning to apathy because you decide everything is pointless so what’s the point in trying to maintain any hope.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Olive[/name_f] [name_u]Riley[/name_u] Michanae (9) is the eldest daughter of [name_m]Clement[/name_m] and his wife. She’s an avid skateboarder and gymnast and loves anything involving balance and tricks. She’s close with her paternal grandparents and loves performing her skills in front of them. She’s opening up to her maternal grandmother and the two like to go to the park together to ease their minds. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and her siblings have never met their maternal grandfather and nobody in the family wants this meeting to ever happen and [name_f]Olive[/name_f] herself has said she never wants to see him. It bothers [name_f]Olive[/name_f] to see her mother so unhappy and [name_f]Olive[/name_f] knows he was a dangerous parent, but neither her nor her siblings know any specific details. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] also supports her maternal aunts and paternal uncle and learned a lot from them and her parents about how not to judge people. Not to make rash assumptions and the be open-minded, asking and getting educated when she doesn’t know why something or someone is different. She’s always felt a loving bond with her family and wants to grow up happy and kind.

[moonwriteen]

(tw: financial abuse, paranoia)
Romeo Gage Brosgol (3mo) is Olive and her two sisters’ adoptive cousin - the son of Ella and her female partner.

He took the surname of Ella 's partner because Ella understandably doesn’t want her beloved son to carry the non-existent “legacy” of her abuser. Ella and her partner went through a long adoption process which was full of sacrifices , which left both of them absolutely extatic to have a family but took an emotional toll on Ella. Romeo 's biological mother left a note while giving him up for adoption which told future parents a little about the family’s medical history of respiratory problems as well as gave them the reason why Romeo was given up → Romeo 's biological grandmother lived vicariously through his mother and threatened to cut her off financially if she doesn’t give the child for adoption and pursue a career at a film school, which led her to the conclusion that her son should be taken in by a new family rather than raised by a young single mom in poverty. To respect his biological mom’s wishes, both women decided to keep the first name that was given to him by her . It was meant to signify his everlasting connection to her by being a Romeo and Juliet reference - it was the first play that his biological mother starred in as a genuine thathre actress, by playing Rosaline .

Ella was paranoid for the longest time about Romeo 's mother changing her mind and coming to “pick up” her son or worse, Romeo stopping breathing in the middle of the night. However, Ella 's other half noticed that her nervousneess stems from overworking herself at the pharmacy and not even leaving the side of Romeo’s bassinet after that - which prompted Romeo 's other mom to direct her to a community centre where now both parents attend “Mommy and Me” yoga classes. Not only are they spending quality time with their baby but also having exercise in the open air and connecting to other young parents.

Romeo’s other mom - a zoologist specialising in Canadian fauna - especially bears , as there are 4 main spieces of it in Canada - loves buying him Teddy Bears and cute outfits, not even regretting one bit that she didn’t go with her student Yumiko to Borneo. Actually , Yumiko noticed her supervisor’s family photo while reporting her work progress through Skype and it made her day, reminding her that LGBT+ people like herself can establish their own families and live happy, fullfiling lives. Yumiko however didn’t bring up the topic because she knew that at work her supervisor is a very professional, strict and curt person who no doubt wouldn’t appreciate being asked about private matters at a professional meeting nor cross supervisor-subordinate boundaries.

Olive and his other older cousin really love him , swooning over how cute he is and Olive loves commenting about how she’s ready to teach him all about skateboards when he’s old enough, only to have her 5-year-old sister shout that “it’s better for him to learn ballet!” Olive’s sister is someone who others would describe as a girly girl due to her love for the color pink and ballet classes that she only just started attending, however she actually thinks that pink is for everyone no matter the gender. Romeo loves being carried around in a stroller by Ella 's mother and going to the park together with his cousins. Both Ella (mummy) and his other parent (momma) agree about the fact that he’s going to never have Ella 's father in his life, because neither do his cousins and they do just fine. In fact, Clement and the oldest Desjardin sister are very happy that Romeo and their youngest daughter are so close in age, as they predict that the two will grow wonderfully together, hitting milestones and becoming friends over the years.

[CherryBomb50]

Tracy Rosaline Michanae (5) is the second Michanae sibling and the one most intrigued by baby Romeo given her middle name is Rosaline. Of course she knows Rosaline didn’t want Romeo and Tracy herself is the kid who doesn’t want a “boyfriend” or “husband”, unlike her best friend who has a puppy love crush on a boy. Tracy’s just happy to be in school, not just daycare and already feels like a “big kid” even though she’s just 5. Her best friend is the daughter of Ellie VanderHaise and both girls are excited for Ellie’s new baby-to-be in a couple months. Both she and her friend are ballerinas although her friend prefers blue tutus and thinks blue ballerinas can be as girly as pink ballerinas. Romeo’s momma loves both pink and blue and always has, so she finds this sweet for both girls and for her son. Romeo’s momma and mummy are excited to see Romeo bond with the Michanae sisters, particularly the youngest, and taking lots of adorable family photos…with teddy bears of course!

Ellie was created by @kitkatcookie.

[moonwriteen]

Godelieve Sophia VanderHaise (5) is Tracy 's best friend the one who prefers blue tutus. She is extatic that her new sibling will also have a blue room and be a boy just like Tracy 's cute cousin. She started doing ballet and even got a role once in a toy advertisement for a Barbie princess dollhouse - which Godelieve thinks is extremely fitting because “she has a long and pretty name of a princess”… Well, it’s actually the name of a Flemish saint which is traditionally given to firstborn daughters of her father’s family for six generations, however given the gruesome martyrdom of the saint Ellie and her dad insist that she was indeed a princess who lived a happy life, even though it’s a truth that will eventually be uncovered given the religiousness of Godelieve 's grandma and the frequency with which she atttends sermons when visiting paternal family in Antwerp.

Godelieve loves everything that involves stretching, backflips and balance tricks, as well as playing with porcelain dolls and organising tea parties for her dolls (both porcelain and plastic) but she prefers the porcelain ones because they were given to her by her dad who runs an antique shop and also works freelance gigs as a translator for Flemish and Dutch. As Godelieve once said to her daycare worker " My dad either writes books in Dutch or dusts old ones in English off"… Which actually concerned the daycare worker and she wanted to set Godelieve up to get dinners in a nearby primary school because from this description she deduced the family must be poor… What the tearcher didn’t know is the fact that Mr. VanDerHaisen’s antique shop is actually rather profitable given the strange nature of this New Brunswick neighbourhood which some claim to be paranormal… Especially one of Mr. VanDerHaisen’s regulars, Isola Hathaway and her boyfriend.

Godelieve gets along with both Tracy and Olive Michnae because of her sophistication but also flexibility and overall friendliness, as well as the fact that she can behave quite maturely for her age and control her emotions more than other girls in her age group because of how much discipline and obedience her ballet teacher expects from both her and Tracy… She’s an old-timey middle-aged lady who doesn’t believe in “letting kids be kids” or “stress-free parenting” , however behind her demanding exterior is a genuinely caring person who just wants the kids to follow their passion to the best of their ability , while also teaching them that failure is a lesson rather than something to be ashamed of. Godelieve has a crush on the ballet teacher’s son even though others laugh at him and the other two boys for “dancing like girls” when they appear in ballet classes… Godelieve even shouted at one of her classmates when she picked on the boy “I’ll tell Mrs. Kretschner that you’re being sexist, and that’s a bad bad word that my aunt taught me!”. Godelieve briefly explained to the girl that "sexism is when you are not nice to boys because they do girly things or not nice to girls because they do boy things. That’s very stupid ". From then on Tracy realided that Godelieve has a bit of a crush on the boy in the ballet class and they giggle about it regularly however Tracy doesn’t tell anyone. Because Godelieve 's paternal aunt works in Advertising , Godelieve showed Tracy the doll house commercial that she starred in and said that she’ll ask her aunt to bring Tracy with her next time. Tracy doesn’t know if her parents will say yes but now started dreaming about becoming an actress and a ballerina , which would lead her to "be famous like Barbie ". Tracy doesn’t even fear the dentist now because she always meets Godelieve 's mom at the reception when she goes there. Plus, both Ellie and Godelieve agree that when your teeth are nice and healthy, the Tooth Fairy brings in more shiny coins!

Olive was created by @CherryBomb50
Ellie was created by @kitkatcookie
Isola was created by @wandering_willow

[kitkatcookie]

cw: the associated abuse with Mr. Desjardin

[name_f]Megan[/name_f] " [name_f]Meg[/name_f] " [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [Desjardin] Michanae (33) is the mother of the three Michanae sisters’, as well as a good friend of the VanderHaise’s’ due to the friendship between [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] and [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f]. There’s an affectionate joke between her and Godelieve’s mother due to the fact Meg’s sister is called [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [and their mom sometimes calls her [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] affectionately], and admittedly, the meaning of names is something important to [name_f]Meg[/name_f]. [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] is named for her own mother, [name_f]Olive[/name_f] for the peace she was able to find with her father [the sperm doner as [name_f]Meg[/name_f] calls him] out of her life, and their youngest daughters’ name means happiness [but isn’t [name_f]Joy[/name_f], as it was already chosen by one of Meg’s close friends’ for her firstborns’ middle name]. Working within the cosmetics industry - specifically ethics, as she majored in philosophy, perhaps to quell the constant questions Meg’s found herself dwelling on throughout life - there’s always got to be something going on, which has helped her manage her daughters’ schedules and hobbies perfectly, as she relates to and encourages their individual and collective interests. [name_f]Meg[/name_f] goes running frequently - she wanted to join the track team but her father forbade it [namely as it could have exposed bruises he left when attacking [name_f]Meg[/name_f] for standing up to him] - as well as rock climbing and practising nail art; as her career path was undeniably shaped by how much she loves personal expression of style, reflected in her dying of her hair.

As the eldest child, [name_f]Meg[/name_f] felt responsible for everyone in the household, especially [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f], and had the most hostile relationship with their father from her early years. She always intended to become estranged from him in some capacity - even writing out a plan for convincing her sisters’ and mum to join her in cutting him off - but the exposure greatly relieved her; [name_f]Meg[/name_f] just wishes it wasn’t at Ella’s expense, thanks to the predator she became involved with whose actions created the explosion that erupted within the household. For their brief conflict, thanks to [name_f]Meg[/name_f] uncovering the truth, they’ve retained the closeness they always shared as children, and Ella’s spoken to [name_f]Meg[/name_f] a lot about parenting now her own son’s joined the family; something the elder woman is always eager and happy to give her and her wife information on. She’s careful to not intrude though, as she faced some patronising and unwanted advise from other women at her toddler group following Olive’s birth; who decided she had to be immature, reckless and incompetent thanks to her age - with the worst offender [and leader of the main clique] falsely accusing [name_m]Clement[/name_m] of being an absent father, something that [name_f]Meg[/name_f] immediately refuted and got into a row with her over. Being treated as if she’s incapable is the one thing [name_f]Meg[/name_f] cannot handle: a product of the assumptions directed towards her on account of her background and open concern for those she loves.

For how intense some people consider her nature, Meg’s very patient, gentle and approachable where her children are concerned. She’s open about wanting a large family, having some hopes of having five children in total - her mum absolutely loves this notion, as being a grandma means the world to her, helped by her daughters’ having wonderful partners - but is mindful of her current daughters and what [name_m]Clement[/name_m] wants too. Thanks to being ambitious and prone to crass humour, this hope of Meg’s surprised a fair few of her colleagues, but upon seeing her with her girls’ it makes absolute sense why she wants more children. Her best friend is someone she met while interning at her first job following the birth of [name_f]Olive[/name_f], as [name_f]Meg[/name_f] never really got close to anyone before this - a product of her father’s grip on the family and her drive to protect [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] - with the exception of her then-overseas friend. The two met as part of an email project set up by school and [name_f]Meg[/name_f] was paired up with a girl from [name_f]China[/name_f], who became incredibly dear to her [eventually learning of the nightmare home Mr. Desjardin had created]; serving as the main confidant through the trials ans madness [name_f]Meg[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] endured. She’s now living in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] too - having been helped by [name_f]Meg[/name_f] to move, following a job offer - and they’re always meeting up whenever possible; with her friends’ older son being the same age as [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] [and he may have a slight crush on her].

[moonwriteen]

[name_f]Blythe[/name_f] [name_f]Anna[/name_f] Michnae (3mo) is [name_f]Meg[/name_f] and [name_m]Clement[/name_m] 's youngest child - she’s the sister of [name_f]Olive[/name_f] & [name_u]Tracy[/name_u]. She loves cuddling with her mom and falling asleep via the kangaroo care technique. She’s a notoriously loud and fussy baby at night so [name_f]Meg[/name_f] has a lot of nights when she cannot really sleep - her and [name_m]Clement[/name_m] are still working on getting [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] to self-soothe and sleep soundly in the bassinet , however it’s quite the challenge. Because of [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] being such a handful , she’s often babysat by either her aunt [name_f]Ella[/name_f] or [name_f]Ella[/name_f] 's wife and her favourite thing to do throughout the day with her cousin [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] is looking at eachother, making noises and laying on the playmat together. She got countless teddy bears from [name_f]Ella[/name_f] 's wife who’s a bear-specialist zoologist, however her favourite plushie is an orange tabby cat named [name_m]Nacho[/name_m] who was with her in the incubator from day one when she had to stay in the hospital for a few days due to jaundice.

[name_f]Blythe[/name_f] is a little ray of sunshine who all of her family absolutely adore - she was named entirely by her sisters - her first name [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] was chosen by [name_f]Olive[/name_f] who helped her mom look for an alternative for the name joy and discovered that [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] means “happy” while searching up info about her favourite book " [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables" , and specifically the character [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Blythe[/name_f]. Her middle name was chosen by [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] who of course chose the name of her favourite [name_f]Disney[/name_f] [name_f]Princess[/name_f] as a suggestion. She chose [name_f]Anna[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] because quote " [name_f]Anna[/name_f] is nicer and does more, [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] just sings “Let It Go”.

[name_f]Meg[/name_f] and [name_m]Clement[/name_m] were criticized by extended family for , quote " Letting little children make a decision that will shape the baby’s life", however [name_f]Meg[/name_f] and [name_m]Clement[/name_m] have both been unbothered by this, as they’ve learned to be immune tp such comments after having [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and having been criticized in the former toddler group already. [name_m]Clement[/name_m] and [name_f]Meg[/name_f] become a stronger and more cooperative partner unit as their family grows , having learned to brush off assumptions about [name_f]Meg[/name_f] 's past or [name_m]Clement[/name_m] being a "pushover " and “absent father " due to his calm nature and general dreaminess. With how [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] loves being taken care of by not only her parents but also aunts and uncle - Clement’s younger brother - they suspect she’ll grow up to be an extroverted family girl, having more energy than her sisters did when they were babies (especially at night , because both [name_u]Tracy[/name_u] and [name_f]Olive[/name_f] tended to fall asleep immediately after being swaddled with a blanket). [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] is a well-loved , happy baby who grows into a healthy little girl… [name_f]Meg[/name_f] jokes that she’ll start trying for another baby immediately when [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] becomes a toddler because " He loves her little squishy treasure now and doesn’t want her to grow up”